


Secret Garden

by sullyintheskywdiamonds



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: AU, M/M, On Hiatus, Slow Burn, Soft & Goth Hanbin, Soft & Goth Yun, Sunshine Dong, a mess TM, double b because im trash, fashionista jinhwan, lots of references to bands especially indie/alternative groups, onesided yunbin, other relationships probably, slight angst, will continue probably somewhere around next year sorry guyz, yunhyeong likes to bake and garden..and this isnt even how soft this ish will get
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2018-11-19 08:39:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11309778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sullyintheskywdiamonds/pseuds/sullyintheskywdiamonds
Summary: Yunhyeong is the local emo and Donghyuk is the sun shining through his window.





	1. Gladiolus

**Author's Note:**

> I dont know why Im doing this to myself. I literally dont have TIME to write but like... I HAVE TO!! this idea is all the fault of Yun and Dong in these pictures. I hate them.   
> http://68.media.tumblr.com/041989570587c61486124d069f1aa7f3/tumblr_os21o22VUv1v5he51o1_250.jpg broody soft flowerboy king 
> 
> http://68.media.tumblr.com/b55cad936a3659d0166e38644359c437/tumblr_os3c7kpW7g1u2go3io1_500.jpg actual fucking sunshine

  
Yunhyeong wasn't the type of guy to really... like guys. At least he thought so.

But there was something about Hanbin that made his heart skip several beats.

"So have you heard from Seungyun?"

They're sitting in the local park, eating pumpkin seeds and throwing a few of them to the pesky pigeons surrounding every inch of their bench. Yunhyeong can't stop staring at Hanbin's smile and it makes him feel queasy.

"Nope. I guess she really is moving out."

Hanbin looks a bit sad at the news and Yunhyeong pretends not to notice. They share a glance and Hanbin starts talking about a new band he found. Yunhyeong goes home and listens to The Smiths all night long.

 

*

  
It's been a month since Seungyun moved out of the house next door to his and Yunhyeong isn't really sure anyone's gonna move in.

He likes it though. No more having to draw the curtains before he showers, no more having to see her boyfriend come over and them getting frisky.

And most of all no more sending him over to their house with cookies so Seungyun would get interested in him.

His mom's always loved her and always thought they'd make a perfect pair. Yunhyeong saw G-Dragon posters on her wall and... _definitely_ not.

He's moping around in his room trying to think of a new outfit that didn't scream _i-havent-washed-since-sunday_ when his mother comes knocking on his door.

He's surprised to see her so happy again and his stomach drops.

"Guess what! I just spoke to the real estate agent who's dealing with Seungyun's house and...drum roll..."

Yunhyeong rolls his eyes instead.

"There's a family moving in! With kids! Your age!"

His mother is overjoyed and Yunhyeong turns up his Smiths album as soon as she leaves. He lands on his bed and stares at the ceiling, wondering if Hanbin's gonna fall in love with the new neighbour just like he always does.

He groans.

 

*

  
Hanbin knocks on his door a week later, wiggling his eyebrows at the fresh brownies in Yunhyeong's hand.

He swallows a groan and smirks at him, grabbing his elbow and running to the house next door.

Yunhyeong doesn't realize he's holding his breath until he lets it go as the door opens.

A nice looking gentleman welcomes them with a slight quirk to his brow, confusion about the brownies and two goth boys at his door.

"Are you..are you wearing a flower crown?"

The man asks him as he takes a bite from the brownie and lets out a surprisingly satisfied sigh.

"Yeah. It's our new thing."

Yunhyeong tries to smile but doesn't really manage, hands being swallowed by his over sized hoodies pockets.

"My boy loves making flower arrangements so I'm hoping you're going to get along."

He smiles and yells out a name Yunhyeong can't really hear. Hanbin looks a bit shell shocked at the word 'boy' and Yunhyeong wants to feel good about it but doesn't get a chance to.

"Hey! Sorry for the mess I've been carrying books up the stairs all day."

The boy smiles at them and a strand of his chocolate brown hair, with a hint of chestnuts, falls into his eyes.

Yunhyeong wonders why he's trying so hard to define the color of his hair instead of the weird feeling he gets while shaking his hand.

"I'm Donghyuk!"

Hanbin smiles at him and offers him one of the brownies. Donghyuk sighs softly and tells them he needs the recepy as soon as possible. Yunhyeong feels too hot in his hoodie as he thinks of the boy appreciating his cooking skills.

He tries to laugh but it sounds like a weird whimper. Hanbin gives him a look.

"I guess we better get going now."

Hanbin shrugs his shoulders and smiles at him, Donghyuk returning the favor. Yunhyeong doesn't want to look at neither of them and bites his fingernails instead.

"Me too."

Donghyuk's voice sounds warm and Yunhyeong makes the mistake of looking up. The warmth in the others' eyes pools in Yunhyeong's stomach.

He draws his curtains again that night and doesn't open them up for weeks.

 


	2. Dandelion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The willow.

It's the middle of the afternoon and he can hear Hanbin turn into his driveway with his ancient bike. He opens the curtains to get a better look and is caught off guard with the new neighbour.

It's been approximately two weeks since he decided to completely ignore the fact that there's a cute chocolate brown haired boy living next to him and now he's come face to face with the consequences of his actions.

Donghyuk is lying on his bed, shirt lazily tucked into his shorts and a thick book in his hands, radio blasting something Yunhyeong can't really hear.

He looks a bit bored but mostly relaxed. Legs thrown over the headboard of his bed and forearm wiping at the sweat bubbling on his face thanks to their summer heatwave.

Yunhyeong feels a bit out of depth. Feels as if his stomach hasn't stopped dropping ever since his mother mentioned the new neighbours.

A rock on his window makes him startle and fall over with a loud yelp, Hanbin's cackling already inside the house.

Yunhyeong grumbles and gets back up, wiping his pants from the dandelion residue on his floor. When he looks up he's met with curious eyes from inside that same room he was so busy staring into. Donghyuk smiles at him and gives him a small wave, his armpit betraying a bush of hair and sweat that trickles down his boxers muscle.

Yunhyeong gulps and draws the curtain again, running out to meet Hanbin and not think of the slight disappointment in the neighbours eyes.

 

*

  
"So what was that about?"

Hanbin's eating his mothers' homemade cranberry gelato, the one that she's trying really hard to sell right now, and making faces at him.

Yunhyeong rolls his eyes and gets rid of the hoodie that he's almost grown into. Hanbin makes a startled sound and Yunhyeong slaps him, mumbling about the heat.

Hanbin doesn't forget his question though.

"Nothing. I was just.. I forgot I had a neighbour."

Hanbin almost giggles and laps up the last of his ice cream, beaming at his mother when she asks if he wants more. Yunhyeong wonders if he'd ever let the anyone else see this part of him. Anyone but him.

It makes his insides even warmer and he grabs a bowl of gelato just for comfort.

"Well you do have a neighbour. And I must add, a really nice neighbour. We should ask him out."

Yunhyeong chokes on his ice cream and tries to look petrified and disgusted. Hanbin just gives him a look.

"Come on! He seems really fun to be around. Besides, it's summer and we could show him all the good places in town."

He licks the last of his second bowl up and gives him a wink. Yunhyeong doesn't finish his own.

 

*

  
Hanbin drags him to Donghyuk's in an hour, after they've discussed the pros and cons of pumpkin spice latte and Hanbin mentions a new band he's really into - The Smashing Pumpkins.

The afternoon sun is really not doing him any good as he sweats in his hoodie again but he thinks it isn't really the thick fabric that makes his heart pound the way it does as the door opens.

"Hi! I was just thinking about when you're coming around again."

Donghyuk's standing there in different clothes now and Yunhyeong wonders if he went showering and if the water droplets savored every inch of his boxers muscle just as he would.

He shakes his head to focus.

"Yeah sorry, Yunhyeong here has been a bit mopey."

Hanbin gives him a look but Donghyuk just smiles and invites them in. Hanbin doesn't let him ask twice. Yunhyeong's feet drag for some odd reason.

"You want some croissants?"

Donghyuk gestures to their humongous kitchen, the counter filled with different baskets, one of them full of pastries. Yunhyeong feels intrigued but doesn't want to prod. Hanbin does it for him.

"You're into cooking like Yunhyeong?"

Donghyuk gazes at him then, surprised look in his eyes and Yunhyeong feels himself blush a little. It's strange since he hasn't blushed in months, the last time he did only because of Hanbin catching him in an outfit that was a bit too preppy for both of their tastes.

"No. I mean.. I've tried but I'm not good at it. My dad's a baker. Or a pastry chef." Donghyuk laughs. "I don't know, something fancy."

He sighs and hands them the basket full of croissants. Yunhyeong's eyes do a double take.

"Really? Did he say anything about Yun's brownies?"

Donghyuk hums softly as he rummages through their cupboard trying to find some jam to go with the food.

Yunhyeong's eyes follow the lines of his shoulders and the perfect curve of his back. His gaze drops when Donghyuk turns around with a sudden burst of enthusiasm.

"Yes! As a matter of fact he was really impressed with his work. And that doesn't happen a lot."

Hanbin nudges him with his elbow and Yunhyeong mutters out a thanks, fingers tangling in his blonde hair.

"I hope you like his work too. Otherwise he'll take what he said about those brownies back."

Donghyuk smiles as he plates up the food and Yunhyeong feels too queasy to eat. He does it anyway.

 

*

  
They end up chatting about Donghyuk's family and what the town is like. Hanbin seems pretty infatuated with him and Yunhyeong feels a bit down because of it.

"Hey, do you want to come with us to the creek?"

He raises his head in shock as Hanbin offers this total _stranger_ , if he might add, a free pass to their secret hiding place.

"The creek? What's that?"

Hanbin tells the new kid all about their favorite bench by the huge silver willow tree and creek. Yunhyeong feels the corner of his lips turn down into a frown and hopes it goes unnoticed.

"I'd love to come."

Donghyuk's smile is sincere as he grabs his jacket and readies himself for an adventure. Yunhyeong groans but goes along anyway.

 

*

  
"God, I didn't think my mom would be this serious about the curfew."

Hanbin looks at his phone with a frown, the new flower crown Donghyuk made him almost dwindling between his fingers.

"You can go. We can manage alone."

Donghyuk smiles and Yunhyeong wants to protest that he really isn't up for staying there with him. Just the two of them. Completely _alone._  He swallows hard at the thought.

Hanbin seems to find the idea to be genius.

"Really? I mean I'm the one who asked you here and I already have to leave."

He pouts for a second and Donghyuk pats his shoulder with a nod, making Hanbin smile again. Yunhyeong feels a bit of jealousy in the back of his throat, in the form of bile. Hanbin seems to notice his paleness but doesn't comment on it.

"Alright. I'll catch up with you guys tomorrow."

Hanbin grabs his squeaky bike and puts the flower crown on top of the ridiculous headband and curls he's been sporting for a week now. Donghyuk waves him goodbye and then they're left alone in the quiet heat of the summer evening.

It takes Yunhyeong about twenty minutes to stop pulling the grass they're now sitting on. It takes him ten more to look at his new partner in crime.

Donghyuk doesn't seem as enthusiastic as he did before.

"Is uhh...Is everything alright?"

His voice is groggy from not really speaking all night. Donghyuk startles and looks over at him. The summer sun bright in his eyes. Yunhyeong feels like hissing at it.

"Yeah. I'm just.."

Donghyuk goes quiet for a second and Yunhyeong goes back to pulling the grass.

"I'm just wondering if you don't like me."

He looks at the other boy and Donghyuk doesn't look back. Something in the pit of his stomach stings.

"Of course I do. Why'd you think that?"

Yunhyeong tries his best to sound as enthusiastic as his new friend. It doesn't really come out as he'd want it to.

"Because you've been ignoring me all night. Rolling your eyes. Giving Hanbin these weird grumpy looks."

Donghyuk makes a point of re-enacting all of it and Yunhyeong winces.

It's not that he doesn't like him.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not used to having a third person around. And I haven't really gotten to know you that well so.."

It's just that he's scared he might like him a bit too much.

"Alright. I'll take your word for it."

Donghyuk smiles again and Yunhyeong feels himself do the same. They stare at each other for a moment until he looks away, right into the sunset.

"You know Hanbin told me about this great band today. And I was wondering If I could recommend it to you."

Donghyuk grabs his hand from the grass with a look of a grumpy mother and Yunhyeong feels himself laugh as he pats it off of his palm. It gets easier after that.

"Yeah, sure. But can I make you listen to some of my favorites first?"

Donghyuk smirks as he fishes out an old worn out mp3 from his pocket. Yunhyeong's feels as if his brows are about to be swallowed by his hairline.

"What's it called?"

Donghyuk's untangling the headphones as Yunhyeong tries to untangle the weird knot in his stomach. The knot that keeps on tightening when Donghyuk's delicate fingers find the shells of his ears and plug the headphones in themselves.

"Mazzy Star. Fade into you."

Yunhyeong stares into his eyes as the first notes start to play and he wonders if he's already fading into the stranger in front of him. If he's already lost and just doesn't know it yet.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> umm this fic is probably going to be really soft and whimsical and basically tumblr aesthetic (tm) cause i just cant help myself


	3. Lily

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mall.

  
It's the second week of June and Yunhyeong is already sweltering in his hoodie. He refuses to take it off though.

"Honey, please. It's 30 degrees outside! You're going to die."

His mother looks concerned now. Especially since he hasn't washed the hoodie in three days. No biggie though, he can do it tomorrow. Or the day after that. Or.. sometime.

"I'm not mom. I can't go out without a hoodie. You know how..how the kids are."

There's something different in her smile then. Something close to pity. Yunhyeong turns his gaze away not to see it.

"Alright. But please wash that thing as soon as possible."

She looks at him wearily and Yunhyeong rolls his eyes, grabbing his bowl of cereal and making it upstairs right in time to spot the neighbour getting rid of their blinds.

Yunhyeong has to remind himself to not stare at Donghyuk and his weirdly shaped ears (perfectly shaped ears) and his hollow cheeks and the even hollower look in his eyes as he yells something to his dad and storms off.

The man in question looks over with a sigh and Yunhyeong pretends to stare at his cereal. The blinds get closed on both sides.

 

*

 

"Why'd you invite me here?"

They're standing in the middle of the food court in a..a..mall. Yunhyeong shudders.

Donghyuk trades a glance with Hanbin and they both laugh. Yunhyeong feels like pulling at grass again.

"Because your hoodie is starting to stink up your house. And _my_ house. You need something new to wear."

Yunhyeong feels his cheeks tinge light pink at the comment and stares at the ground, moping until Hanbin apologizes for the both of them and pats him on the back.

He wants to feel better about the day and the idea of shopping with his friends yet Donghyuk's words are still stuck in his mind making him even more self conscious than usual.

They make their way to the nearest H&M store, Yunhyeong shaking his shoulders with fake disgust as soon as they step in.

Hanbin's wearing shorts and what looks like a home knit sweater. He looks softer than usual, there's a glow on his skin that kind of takes his breath away. Yunhyeong turns his gaze to the shirt Donghyuk's offering him instead and shudders.

"I'm not wearing that. Not in a million years."

Hanbin rolls his eyes but Donghyuk just laughs, offering something else. Yunhyeong shakes his head again and again and again. Until the both of them feel like giving up. _Success_.

Hanbin rolls his eyes and gives Donghyuk a mission of choosing three hoodies and five tanktops. He gives Yunhyeong a look and he swallows hard.

"You!"

"Huh?"

Hanbin steps closer and Yunhyeong would be a bit flustered if he weren't so nervous.

"You're going to try all of these on while I go get us some smoothies and whatever Donghyuk says looks good, you'll take it. Got it?"

Yunhyeong wants to protest. To whine.

He stays quiet instead. Nodding his head and making Hanbin beam at him.

"That's my boy! See that wasn't so hard was it?"

He pats his back and runs off while Donghyuk looks through racks of clothing. Yunhyeong knows Hanbin's trying to help but leaving him alone with Donghyuk for the second time is not helping.

Leaving him alone with Donghyuk to try on _tank tops_ is _definitely_ not helping.

 

*  
"Yunhyeong. You've been in there for fifteen minutes. Can you please just come out already?"

Donghyuk sounds worried but he doesn't care.

The mirror brings out all the worst of him. The dark tone of his skin. The bags underneath his eyes. The blonde hairdo that's already fading out into black.

"Yun?"

He startles at the nickname, turning around with his heart beating a wild rhythm in his chest. Beating along to the song that's stuck in his head ever since they sat on the grass together. Just the two of them. Alone.

He swallows. The mirror brings out the worst of him and Donghyuk is about to see it.

"Here you go."

He opens the curtain and readies himself for Donghyuk's curious gaze. His eyes are smiling as he lets them slide over his body, slower than what's healthy for Yunhyeong's already distressed heart.

And then they stop on his arms. The smile in his eyes fades into black.

"You look...great."

He smirks and gives him a thumbs up, hand shakier than it was before. Yunhyeong doesn't say a thing but closes the curtain and stares at himself in the mirror again before putting on the hoodie and letting the long sleeves cover the scars of his past.

 

*

  
Hanbin is still gone when he's done trying everything on. He doesn't really know why buying smoothies takes that much time but somehow Donghyuk's presence isn't that overbearing anymore.

"So...I think you have to buy all the hoodies. And that one navy blue tank top."

Yunhyeong stares at him with wonder but doesn't say any of what he's thinking out loud.

"You really think the tank top is a good idea?"

Donghyuk's eyes fall to his covered arms and he looks up, smiling at him from beneath his surprisingly long lashes.

"Of course. You looked good in it. You look good in anything."

He feels himself smirk at that and wonders why the sinking feeling in his stomach is still there. Why there's a butterfly biting at the lining of it and trying to escape from the depths of his rumbling tummy.

Wonders why Donghyuk hasn't taken his eyes off of him for half an hour already.

"Hey, I know it's a bit inappropriate to ask but I..I saw what happened with your dad today. Is everything fine?"

They're standing in line waiting to pay when he drops the bombshell. Donghyuk is a bit weary now and Yunhyeong wants to take his words back.

"It's fine. I have no secrets."

Donghyuk's smile doesn't reach his eyes and Yunhyeong feels the butterfly being swallowed back to the pit of his stomach, making it sting again.

"It's just uhh.. He's been really nervous lately. A ticking time bomb."

Yunhyeong wants to ask more but gives him the space to talk. Donghyuk seems to appreciate it.

"He's teaching at a pastry school or something but no one wants to come to his bakery for the apprenticeship. So he's starting to doubt his skills. And that makes him a bit snappy to say the least."

Yunhyeong smiles apologetically and puts his things on the counter, nodding at the cashier. Donghyuk smiles at her for him and Yunhyeong's stomach stings again. He hopes it's hunger. Or nerves. Or both.

"I'm sorry. I hope he gets over it soon enough."

Donghyuk shrugs his shoulders. His eyes sweep over his arms and Yunhyeong can feel the question coming. Before it does there's the sound of laughter and Yunhyeong can tell it's his best friend.

They pay and turn around to see Hanbin, arm in arm, with a complete stranger. Yunhyeong's stomach rumbles loud enough for everyone to hear.

 

*

  
"Guys! This is Jinhwan. He's the self proclaimed fashionista of our high school. Well he was. You also graduated already, yeah?"

The smaller guy looks at them, flashing a sly smile.

"Yep. I'm Jinhwan. Would've wanted to do my own introduction but whatever."

He slurps on a frappe that looks huge in his tiny hands. His choker moves as he gulps down the drink and stares at them from beneath his long lashes.

"I'm sorry.. where do you know each other from?"

Donghyuk seems bemused but Yunhyeong sure isn't. Especially when he spots how Jinhwan flashes a smirk at Hanbin and the other flushes immediately.

"We don't. I just met him in the coffee shop downstairs."

Hanbin doesn't seem to find it weird at all, beaming at them and at his new acquintance.

"He told me about finding his friend new clothes and I wanted to come and give my advice. As he said, I'm the fashionista."

Jinhwan slurps his drink yet again and gives his hand to Donghyuk.

"Nice to meet you."

Yunhyeong won't give his own. Jinhwan doesn't betray what he he thinks of that.

 

*

  
"Oh god. He's not wearing that!"

Yunhyeong starts to like this Jinhwan guy a lot more when he steps out and gives the shirt Donghyuk's holding up a nasty glare.

"Okay. So what is he supposed to wear? His birthday suit?"

Hanbin looks a bit ovewhelmed now, his knitted jacket buried somewhere in the huge shopping cart they're carrying around. Yunhyeong spots the flex of his muscle as he throws his arms out in frustration. So does Jinhwan.

Yunhyeong groans as they argue but doesn't miss the appreciative glance Donghyuk gives him at the mention of 'birthday suit'. He feels too hot under his hoodie again. Feels as if he's about to boil.

"See? This would fit him best."

Scratch that. Yunhyeong doesn't like Jinhwan. At all.

"A mustard turtleneck?"

Jinhwan nods with a smile and Yunhyeong wishes for death for the hundreth time that day.

 

*

  
They leave the mall when the summer sun is already setting. When the kids are running back home. When Yunhyeong feels comfortable enough to let himself go for a bit.

He takes off the hoodie when they make it to Hanbins' neighbourhood.

"You want to come to my place? My parents are at a barbecue and I have a great new album to listen to."

He looks over at them and then at Jinhwan. Yunhyeong feels a rush of blood beneath his skin. Feels himself boil again at the thought of a new complete stranger being invited over in just a day.

"Sure."

Jinhwan's walking next to him now as Hanbin talks to Donghyuk about the album and how The Smashing Pumpkins are probably the greatest band he's ever known. Donghyuk fakes his interest well enough for him to continue talking all the way back home.

Jinhwan doesn't stare at him like Yunhyeong thought he would. He does however, step closer than he'd want him to.

"You know you shouldn't be so scared to wear tank tops or mustard turtlenecks. You look good in them. Get used to it."

He pulls at his choker and Yunhyeong holds his surprise at bay.

"I really don't think I do. Besides, It doesn't fit my style."

Jinhwan glances at Donghyuk and Hanbin with a knowing smirk.

"A person's style can change over time. Trust me, I know."

Yunhyeong's too busy staring at the way Hanbin's thighs move in the shorts he's wearing. When he looks at him Jinhwan's already hurrying towards his friends and all he's left with is the distinctive scent of lilys.

Yunhyeong thinks he really is like a lily. Everyone's favorite and gorgeous beyond words.

He doesn't know what he is yet.

 

*

  
Hanbin is busy setting out lawn chairs and bringing them a few craft beers he's kept hidden in his room. His parents don't like him drinking even though he's of age. Yunhyeong has never asked why.

"Listen to this. Isn't it great?"

It's been about fifteen minutes since they've settled down and Hanbin's already blasting Mayonaise and trying to mumble along to the lyrics.

Yunhyeong settles in his chair, putting the hoodie on again as a breeze hits his skin and makes goosebumps form all over his body. Makes them bring out the scars scattered on his arms.

The sky is orange with hints of yellow, the sun surrounded by a flock of birds flying over their heads.

He looks at Donghyuk as the guitar solo hits and the other is staring overhead, at the clouds that Yunhyeong was just dreaming of being a part of.

He wonders what Donghyuk is. If he's a dandelion or a sunflower. If he's everything that's been missing from his life so far.

A loud snort interrupts his thoughts and he spots Hanbin with Donghyuk's phone in his hands.

"Who the hell is this guy? Are you two dating or something?"

Donghyuk grabs his phone back with a protective scowl, quickly checking the screen. Then he laughs and drops it on the lawn chair with ease. Jinhwan seems to be intrigued and so is he.

"It's Bobby. We work out together."

Hanbin quirks his brow and Donghyuk hits him with the discarded jacket.

"No! We're not dating. He's kind of my best friend."

Yunhyeong stares at him as he says the words and wonders if Bobby really is his best friend. And why that makes him feel as weird as it does.

"Are you sure you're not dating? Cause he sent you a pic of his biceps and I don't think friends do that."

Hanbin takes the phone again and stares intently at the picture. Yunhyeong doesn't miss his eyes tracing the lines of the guys' biceps nor the tongue that's peaking out of his mouth. Neither does Jinhwan. Nor Donghyuk.

"Why're you so curious though? Want him to be _your_ boyfriend?"

Jinhwan asks teasingly and Hanbin splutters, throwing the phone back and mock chasing the older guy around the yard.

Donghyuk spots him staring at him and their eyes lock.

"Feeling better now?"

Yunhyeong doesn't know how to answer so he shrugs his shoulders.

"I wasn't feeling bad before so."

Donghyuk takes a sip of his drink, his arm revealing that bush of hair again. Yunhyeong suffocates the urge to go and sit closer to him.

"You don't fool me. I hope you don't uhh.. don't feel too self conscious about yourself."

_About the scars._

"I don't. I'm just not a huge fashionista or a bubbly goofball like those two."

_I'm just not that carefree._

Donghyuk smiles at him and looks down at his hands. He wants to say something and Yunhyeong holds his breath until he actually does.

"You're much more than that. You're you."

Yunhyeong feels himself shiver in his hoodie and even more so as their gazes lock again. Donghyuk is a sunflower he decides then. He's the sun shining through his window and nothing can stop his light from coming through.

The first notes of some indie song start playing and Yunhyeong feels it again.

> " _You know that I'm obsessed with your body. But it's the way you smile that does it for me"_

That knot.

> _"You know I think your skin's the perfect color. But it's always your eyes that pull me under"_

That sting.

  
He looks away before he can say anything but 'thank you' back at him. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it got a bit of angst in it too now but just the tiniest bit!! also i tried something new aka the song lyrics in there because I CANT HELP MYSELF also its 'sweet' by cigarettes after sex and it makes me feel those summer love ~~vibes~~ so i had to include it.   
> probably some mistakes that ill fix later cause im in a hurry (as usual). hope its good??


	4. Gardenia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The patio

They're walking back to their own neighbourhood, Jinhwan passing a sidewalk to the unknown just a few moments ago.

The night is warm but Donghyuk feels even warmer beside him.

"So I know you don't like to be alone with me. Don't think I haven't noticed."

He's ready to protest but their fingers brush and it knocks the air right out of him. Even more so than what he said.

"But I think I can ask you this. What are you gonna do now that school has ended?"

He didn't expect this question. He was pretty sure it was going to be the inevitable 'what happened to your arms?' but that question hasn't come up all night long and he's immensely grateful.

"I don't really know. Hanbin has been looking at universities in Seoul and even overseas. I haven't really looked at anything."

He says it while his eyes get stuck on the way Donghyuk is biting his lip as he awaits for the response and it must be the alcohol but what he really wants to say is..

Donghyuk chuckles and brushes a strand of hair away from his eyes.

"Yeah. Same for me. I've looked into dance schools and stuff but I'm not sure if I really wanna pursue that. It's difficult and I'm not really ready for more difficulties."

_Lately I've been only looking at you._

"What do you mean _more_ difficulties?"

He swallows the other thought down with a stream of saliva. Or maybe bile. He isn't sure, the alcohol they drank light but hitting him in all the right places. Making him question all the wrong things.

"School was hard for me. I was a grade A student until like last year I think. Then I had some family issues and that knocked me down. I haven't really recovered since."

He nods, not really wanting to ask about those issues. He has enough of his own.

"I understand. Trust me."

Donghyuk finally looks back at him and Yunhyeong realizes he's been staring at the other all this time. He coughs, cheeks flushing but not really noticeable in the darkness.  
Their houses are in the horizon now and soon enough they're there. Yunhyeong wants the feeling of 'not enough' to crawl back down to the pit of his stomach where it belongs.

"But I tried your pastry and it's really good. I think you should look into that."

They're saying goodbye now and Yunhyeong doesn't really think he'll look into it. But he nods anyway and mutters a small thanks. Donghyuk gives him one last glance before he makes his way back inside, gray tanktop falling loose around his wide shoulders. Yunhyeong wonders why he noticed it. Or why the starless sky seems a bit brighter that night.

 

*

  
The next day Hanbin is by his door bright and early, contradicting what he thought would happen.

"No hangover?"

Hanbin shakes his head with a big smile that then turns sour. Yunhyeong snorts.

"A bit. But I wanted to go to the new smoothie place in town. I also asked Jinhwan to come and maybe we can take Donghyuk too? He said he had training today but.."

Yunhyeong spins around faster than he'd like to.

"You're talking to him online or something?"

Now it's Hanbins' time to snort. He checks his phone and says he's chatting to all of them all the time. Jinhwans' message making his phone buzz loudly in his kitchen just as he says it. Yunhyeong feels his brows furrow and wonders why it makes him anxious.

"Ookay. So they're apart of..our group now?"

He feels his voice waver a little. Become quieter and less assured. Hanbin gives him a look that softens after a minute.

"Yeah. Are you.. not okay with it?"

He shuffles closer, with a few pastries in hand. Yunhyeong feels comfortable in his presence and his presence alone. He wants to shake out the discomfort the thoughts are giving him but doesn't.

"I mean of course I am, yeah. But are we still gonna hang out alone too?"

He doesn't want to say that he misses their alone time. But he really does. The willow and creek almost fading from his memory already.

Hanbin cracks a big smile again as he stuffs a few of his raspberry pastries into his mouth. Yunhyeong wonders how they fit in there.

"Of course. You know you're my one and only. But it's nice having more company. We finally have our own gang!"

He does smile at that then, the thought kind of nice. Not comfortable but nice. He can take it.

 

*

  
"Sorry I'm late to the party!"

Jinhwan and Hanbin have been chatting about the smoothie quality, the both of them doing most of the talking making him be the referee.

Donghyuk's sudden appearance surprises him. Or should he say blinds him, the others smile just as big and bright as Hanbins'. Maybe even brighter.

"You look good."

Jinhwan eyes him up and down as he slurps on his smoothie and Yunhyeong feels that it's okay for him to check him out too now. To let his eyes wander to the parts he's tried very hard not to look at.

Donghyuk is slim but he's not skinny. He has some muscle and probably some good fat too. Yunhyeong can tell he's been taking care of himself by the curve of his back and the way his thighs flex when he jumps at his friends' arrival. It takes him a minute to even notice the others' presence.

"I hope it's okay that I brought my best friend?"

He quirks his brow at the table and Yunhyeong finally realizes why he looks so glowing and why his hair is damp. They were working out together.

The best friend is broader than Donghyuk. Has more muscles and more of a smile. But to Yunhyeong, Donghyuk has definitely won this competition.

He finally notices though that for Hanbin, there is no competition.

"Sure!"

His eyes sparkle as he looks at the friend and Yunhyeong finally puts two and two together. It's the friend who sends Donghyuk bicep pictures. The one Hanbin couldn't stop staring at even through the phone.

"I hope I'm not disturbing anything. And nice to meet you all! I'm Bobby."

They're both wearing almost matching gray tank tops as they slide next to Hanbin and Jinhwan, leaving Donghyuk in the edge of his own seat.

"We're Donghyuks' friends. At least I think so. This is Jinhwan, I'm Hanbin and the sulky one is Yunhyeong. Our resident emo."

Bobby laughs loudly at that and Yunhyeong can't shake the feeling of dread that's stuck in his shoulders and his spine, making him sit straighter than usual. Can't shake Hanbin to his god damn senses.

They all get another round of smoothies as Donghyuk and Bobby talk about their extensive two hours in the gym and their friendship. Bobby is quieter than he thought but at times he can be the loudest and chattiest. Yunhyeong likes him but what he doesn't like is the way Hanbin keeps staring at him and the way Donghyuk almost seems like a third wheel between them.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the summer? And after that?"

No matter how much he wants to say he hates Bobby he really can't do it. Not when he looks at them all with a bright smile and real interest in his voice. But what he does hate is the fact that he has to answer this too.

"..But people tell me I'm good at designs so I'm gonna try. And I got accepted so Seoul here I come!"

It's the most he's heard Jinhwan say about himself and Yunhyeong is impressed. But also stressed. The line ends here and he's realized he has no idea what he wants to do next. Absolutely no clue. Work? Study? Die? Maybe that.

"And you?"

Bobby gives him an encouraging smile as the straw of his smoothie disappears into his mouth. He feels himself flush at all the attention and hopes for Hanbin, his best friend, to save him from it. Instead the other is too focused on that straw and Yunhyeong is left to fend for himself.

"I don't know. I really don't know. I guess I will have to figure it out this summer."

His voice is rough from not really speaking and so is the feeling in his gut when there isn't much of a response. But they don't look at him with pity and that's a good thing at least.

"Well I guess you're in the same boat with my boy Hyukie. I've told him tons of times to try out for the dance school yet he still isn't going. Is there anything we should know?"

Bobby nudges his friends' shoulder and Donghyuk's eyes fall to the tabletop immediately. Yunhyeong can tell he wants to say something. Maybe even reveal something yet nothing comes out but a loud 'stop pestering me you idiot!'.

They laugh until the sun sets and Yunhyeong is left with a bunch of questions still stuck in his mind.

 

*

 

It's a quiet Wednesday night and Hanbin hasn't come over all day. Yunhyeong doesn't really care per se. It's just that he's kind of bored and doesn't know what his best friend is up to.

He's kept the curtains closed until now, half of him wondering if the neighbour has been doing nothing as well and half of him dreading to see the room empty. He opens the curtains to be met with other ones and without even acknowledging it, lets out a worn out sigh.

He's been up longer than usual, trying to work on an apple and elderflower pie recipe. It didn't really come alive on paper and he isn't surprised. The recipes don't come alive if he doesn't either.

He's ready to call it a night, staring out at the starless sky when his mother yells out something he can't quite catch.

"Honey, put the clothes out. It's getting late and I'm stuck on my recipe."

He wants to snort and tell her how well he knows that feeling but keeps quiet and nods instead.

The clothes don't weigh that much but he's tired and his body's worn out but also strung. It feels as if there's an unknown electricity in the air that keeps building and he doesn't know why.

The hoodies he kept wearing all throughout the last weeks are now finally clean and drying. He throws a few more clothes over the line and feels a chill run down his back as a lonely cricket chirps from somewhere in his garden.

He looks around to spot it but there's nothing there. Instead he sees a small batch of dried up flowers. Of lilys and roses and tulips and gardenias. Of flowers he can't really even put a name to.

It makes him realize that his sister hasn't come around in a long while to take care of them and someone needs to start doing it for her. Before he can even think about getting his fingers dirty there's a quiet strum of.. some instrument.

He isn't really sure if he's just imagining it or if it's actually coming from one of the neighbouring gardens.

It isn't until he's absolutely sure that it was all in his head that he hears it again. It's the strumming of an acoustic guitar. And it isn't coming from outside. It's coming from a window crack and someones steps are moving towards the wooden floor of their patio.

He ducks as soon as he understands who it is. With their fences being mere centimeters apart and very _very_ short he just really doesn't feel like being seen. Especially in his tank top and Homer Simpson boxers.

The first few notes are unfamiliar to his ear but familiar to his body. He quietly sits near the forgotten flower patch and tries his hardest not to cough or spit or do anything to make his neighbour realize he's there. It isn't until he sings that Yunhyeong knows for sure its Donghyuk and not his dad or brother or whoever is living with them.

The song isn't familiar at all. It's got English lyrics but none of them make any sense to his untrained ear. Untrained to the way Donghyuk pronounces it, that is.

_"And her eyes will say..she's got a secret garden."_

His voice wavers and it's small and hushed but so so utterly beautiful.

Yunhyeong doesn't understand why his hair is standing up.

_"Where everything you need, will always stay..a million miles away."_

And he doesn't understand why the thought of having curtains and houses and fences between them is almost unbearable.

The light on the porch gets turned off as Donghyuk sits the guitar down with a satisfied hum and leaves. Yunhyeong wonders if this is why he hasn't gone to dance school yet.

He keeps sitting there until his shivers subside and when he finally gets back inside he finishes the apple and elderflower pie recipe. It finally comes alive.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS FINALLY HERE!!!!! Yall im sorry i have been on such a long hiatus. Most of you probably dont follow me on tumblr either so ya didnt know that i was a depressive mess (tm) also really burdened by my job. BUT Im back and im better than ever (mentally not writing wise tbh) and although it is a bit rusty and short i really want to continue writing this because i have some ideas (not everything is clear yet so if you have suggestions.. give em to me) and i want to post as regularly as possible!!  
> its almost a year since my last update and im truly sorry about that! Honestly the fact that its summer has gotten me going again and into the ~~mood~~  
> comments and criticism is always welcome! see u in hopefully just a tiny bit!! (also wow BOBBY wow DOUBLE B can u sense it in the air cause i can)


	5. Heather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the window

He's finished eating breakfast the next day but his mind is still stuck in the last. In the way Donghyuk sang those words and on those dusty dried up plants in his garden.

He wonders if he should plant some sunflowers when he opens the curtains and finds himself staring at one instead.

Donghyuk has just gotten out of the shower, towel hanging low on his hips and the water dripping down his body.

Yunhyeong feels awkward looking at him. Feels as if his body is being stirred up and his brain fried. As if the electricity of last night hasn't left his surroundings for even a second.

Donghyuk doesn't seem to notice him, rummaging his closet for a shirt to wear. Yunhyeong feels himself rummage in his brain, scattering around images of girls in lingerie and girls in less than that replacing them with images of Donghyuks smile and the water droplets inching down his boxers muscle.

His mouth falls open as he tries to stop thinking. Tries to stop the scent of florals turning into a scent of musk. Tries to stop feeling the tingling underneath his skin.

Before he can turn around and figure out why seeing his neighbour almost naked has this effect on him, an effect at all, he's busted.

Donghyuk faces the window with a shirt in hand, towel hanging precariously low on his hips, eyes locking with his.

He smiles and waves, making Yunhyeong feel as if he's the naked one. He nods back, eyes closing along with the curtains. The water droplets haunt him for the rest of the day.

 

*

 

  
"Have you heard of the weird preppy kid down the block?"

Hanbin has come over and Yunhyeong feels a bit more like himself now. Has gotten the song out of his head but not the images.

It makes him jittery, makes him feel anxious of what's to come.

"What preppy kid?"

He's slurping on the ice cream samples his mother has left out and Hanbin is going into town with them even more than he is. It's a hot day but the sky is cloudy and Yunhyeong thinks about planting those sunflowers again.

"God, have you not heard the gossip?" Hanbin nudges him and before he can answer he continues on. "A new kid moved down the block a few weeks ago."

Yunhyeong feels shaky from the ice cream now, brain freeze making it hard to think about anything at all.

"Okay but if he moved a few weeks ago why haven't we seen him? Or heard about it yet?"

Hanbin shrugs his shoulders and then comes up with an answer that makes him giggle to himself. Yunhyeong finds it incredibly endearing but doesn't voice his thoughts out loud, deciding to throw on his comfortable hoodie instead. Hanbin gives him a look but keeps giggling.

"He was probably cramped inside his house studying or something. You know how those kids are."

Yunhyeong wants to comment that they studied a lot too. That they're good guys with a different style. He doesn't have the opportunity since there's a gentle knock on the door and he's almost certain of who it is.

"Knock knock. Can I come in?"

Instead of Donghyuk it's his best friend Bobby and Yunhyeong is taken aback.

"What's this about?"

He just knows Hanbin had a hand in it and he doesn't understand if it pisses him off or not. His brain is frozen and he can't think about anything else but water droplets. He blames it on the ice cream.

"Sorry! I didn't have time to tell you. Bobby is taking me for a drive with his cycle!"

Hanbins' eyes sparkle and Yunhyeong feels a sudden urge to stop them. To tell Bobby to leave his house and never come back. Instead he quirks his brow and awaits for an answer, hoping it isn't what he thinks it is.

"I have a motorcycle and Hanbin kept bugging me about going for a ride on it. It uhh.. it only fits two people though."

Bobby looks dashing, sporting a style that could only be called urban, dark black hair curling around his ears like it did the last time they met. He must have worked out again. Yunhyeong hates how the thought of working out makes him think of Donghyuk and the wate-

"It's fine! Yunhyeong had plans with Jinhwan anyway."

He hears Hanbin open his mouth for him and startles.

"Umm..what do you mean?"

Hanbin ushers himself out the door and Yunhyeong follows the both of them, Bobby glancing towards him a bit nervously. That doesn't make him feel any better about this whole ordeal.

"So.. I kind of made Jinhwan agree to come over in like an hour to sort out your closet."

Hanbin looks apologetic but his eyes light up when they cross paths with Bobby's. Yunhyeong holds in his groans.

"It would've been nice to talk to me about this you know."

He sighs as Hanbin walks towards the huge motorcycle Bobby has parked down the street and Yunhyeong almost feels like strangling his best friend. Almost.

"I would've _loved_ to but you know how you get when it comes to clothes. You've been wearing this hoodie for a year now and we all need a bit of change in our lives, Yun. Don't hate us for trying to help."

Hanbin gives him his best puppy dog look and of course he melts under it. And so does Bobby.

His stomach rumbles and Yunhyeong wants to go back inside to have some more of that gelato and freeze his brain forever so he couldn't think about why he can't say no to him.

"I could never hate you. Just.. go have fun and if Jinhwan tries to throw away any of my hoodies then your weird headbands are going as well!"

Hanbin looks scandalized but not as bothered as he would've wanted him to. Especially since he's already hopping onto the back of the bike, getting to grab the biceps he commented on a week ago, and driving off to nowhere with a guy that Yunhyeong just cannot make himself like. Even if the the other makes it so hard not to.

"Sorry! I'll bring you back something good!"

Bobby smiles and it's genuine. Yunhyeong wishes he could say his smile is as well.

 

*

 

He's had a third bowl of ice cream and the brain freeze is making his eyes hurt and teeth sensitive. It's at least two hours until his mom comes back and he's bored out of his mind. Scared too if he starts thinking about Jinhwan and wondering if he really is arriving or not.

The thought forms goosebumps over his already scarred arms and makes him do something stupid. Something he didn't think he'd do for at least another seven months. Another year, really. 

The door opens as soon as he's knocked on it, making it impossible to just run and pretend he didn't have the horrible idea of coming over.

"Hi."

Donghyuk is now wearing clothes and Yunhyeong doesn't know if he's grateful or not. The thought makes his head spin and stomach churn. Makes the electricity in the air form a tight knot around them that he doesn't know how to break.

"Hi. I uhh.. I was just wondering if I could hide out here for a while."

He smiles and hopes it comes out as genuine as one of Bobbys'. Donghyuk looks surprised and even as if he's holding in a giggle. Yunhyeong blames his inability to smile like a normal human being on the fact that he hardly ever does it.

"Yeah, sure. I guess so."

The door opens up a bit wider and Yunhyeong is welcomed to a home he's only been in once before. It looks cleaner than the last time, with boxes of clothes and books and household items already put away.

"So why do you need to hide and _who_ do you need to hide from?"

Donghyuk's whole face is full of laughter and Yunhyeong feels more comfortable now. Feels as if he's been welcome there from the day he laid eyes on him. From the day they laid eyes on each other.

The thought warms him up in his hoodie so he tries to stop it from growing. Tries to stop the feeling from growing.

It isn't working.

"Jinhwan. Hanbin arranged him to come over and clean my closet and I had no idea until like half an hour ago. And don't get me wrong. Jinhwan is very nice but I like my clothes. I _love_ my clothes."

Donghyuk laughs as he hands him a glass of ice tea. Yunhyeong downs it one go, almost missing the glance Donghyuk gives him as he finishes.

"Yeah knowing Jinhwan he'd throw them all away. But to be honest the tank top and stuff we got you the other day wasn't that bad at all. Why aren't you wearing them?"

Donghyuk turns around to grab them something from the fridge and Yunhyeong takes the moment to glance around the kitchen, staring at the beautifully knit napkins on the counter and then at the curve of his neighbours back.

"I just don't feel comfortable in them-- But I will! Don't worry."

Donghyuk takes out a gorgeous looking cheesecake filled to the brim with something Yunhyeong can't put his finger on.

"Well then Hanbin has every right to call fashion police on you. You need to step out of the box sometimes. You never know what you're gonna find if you do."

He wants to protest but his eyes keep getting caught in Donghyuk's earnest ones.

"What's this thing made of? Have any clue?"

He opts to changing the topic and trying out the incredible looking cake. It tastes just as amazing as it looks and Yunhyeong is impressed.

"Does your dad share his recipes at all or do I have to figure it out on my own?"

Donghyuk shrugs his shoulders, not really knowing what he put in it and how he made it.

"I think you better talk to him about that. I'm definitely not an expert. I once burned and completely destroyed a five minute mug cake."

Yunhyeong snorts and doesn't expect the honeydew taste of the cake to reflect in Donghyuks' eyes and a streak of his hair. Doesn't expect to take his advice and go back to wait for Jinhwan anyway.

 

*

 

  
"This is the worst piece of cloth I've ever seen. It's like the biggest waste of a good fabric in the history of the world!"

Jinhwans' usual choker is gone and instead he's sporting slicked back hair with a leopard print shirt and tanker boots. Somehow he makes it work.

"Says the person who's wearing a leopard print for gods sake."

He's had to take off his hoodie for the sake of fashion, as Jinhwan put it, and it's time to try out the things he really doesn't want to get rid of and the things Jinhwan says can only stay if they make him look bangable. Yunhyeong doesn't even know what that means.

"Okay so what I'm saying is that this is the worst shirt you own and it has to go! It makes you look like a sack of potatoes. Wrinkly and _old_ potatoes."

Jinhwan slurps on the milkshake he's brought with and Yunhyeong is grateful he was considerate enough to bring two. The milkshake is almost good enough to make him forget about the terrible decisions he has made. Like this particular one.

"Maybe I _like_ wrinkly and old potatoes!"

Jinhwan just groans, frustration seeping out of every pore on his body. Yunhyeong smiles smugly hoping he's won this round but then a wicked grin comes over the elders face and he knows he's doomed.

Jinhwan gracefully jumps over the pile of clothes on his floor and signals something out the window. To his complete horror, Donghyuk has been sitting and looking at the ordeal all this time.

"This is so unfair! You can't have two against one!"

Jinhwan shoos him away as he cracks the window open and so does a smiling Donghyuk.

"I _can_ have two against one if it's for better good. Donghyuk! Please tell this stubborn ass that the shirt needs to go."

The other gives him the slowest once over and Yunhyeong feels his knees do a weird buckle. Feels the electricity in the air again and not just because of the clothes. Feels the summer heat seep into his skin and warm up the blood in his veins underneath it.

"Sorry Yun, but it needs to go."

Donghyuk grabs whatever he has in his cup and sits over the edge of the windowsill, smiling unabashedly.

Jinhwan's wicked grin doesn't disappear for the rest of the night. Neither does the boiling feeling underneath his skin nor the faint blush above the swell of his ass, that Jinhwan oh so gracefully mentions.

 

*

  
The last shirt takes half an hour of deciding. Donghyuk has gone to help out his dad and Yunhyeong feels the sweating subside for just a second. Jinhwan isn't letting got of his principles, telling him how even prostitutes don't wear things like that.

It's a simple shirt really. It's black with red sleeves. The only thing Jinhwan is so ferment about is the fact that it's almost completely ripped at the back, the holes large enough for a tiny fist to fit in. Jinhwan tried.

"Okay but the front is good isn't it?"

He tries to compromise, saying he'll wear a jacket but Jinhwan will not take it.

He heaves out a sigh of relief when Donghyuk comes back to the window sill, the twilight coloring his skin into a soft ivory hue, making Yunhyeong think of vanilla pudding and all the ways he'd like to make it with him.

He doesn't think it's relief after all.

"Yay or nay?"

At first glance Donghyuk gives them a thumbs up and Yunhyeong feels himself smile without wanting to. Jinhwan smacks him on the head and tries to push him to turn around. He protests, not really wanting his neighbour to see him like this.

It isn't because he's scared the shirt will be thrown out. It's more because of him. Because of the tone of his skin and the lanky body he has. His back more bony and the curve of it not something to be proud of.

It's silly really. He's never felt this self-conscious in front of a friend before and the only time he has it's been Hanbin. Mostly in the beginning, when everything was new and weird and there was a small sense of hope swelling in his chest that Hanbin might feel the same. He didn't.

He finally turns around when Jinhwan promises to tear the shirt apart. He doesn't see Donghyuk's stare but he can feel it.

"See? This is terrible. He could just walk around naked and it'd be better than wearing this monstrosity."

Donghyuk giggles but doesn't say a word still. When he spins back around again Donghyuk looks just as calm and collected as before.

"It stays."

He's ready to hand the shirt over to Jinhwan in defeat but shimmies around in excitement instead.

"Why? It's hideous."

Jinhwan scrunches his nose in disgust but leaves it be. Heaving out a sigh of relief that they're finally done.

Donghyuk's answer is left only for his ears to hear and Yunhyeong feels his simmering stare still on his back after it's already long gone.

"Because I like it."

 

*

 

He finds himself in the garden a while after Jinhwan's left. He took all the clothes with him promising a mall haul and Yunhyeong didn't want to protest fearing another smacking. Instead of that he got a stern look and a fond smile from the tiniest piece of his new gang.

The night sky isn't starless this time, a few sparkling back at him as he grabs some dried dirt from around the flowers.

His mother's brought a few new flower pots outside and he starts with putting the old dried up residue in there to get it out of the way.

He doesn't really know why he's doing this at night. And why his hearts beating loudly against his rib cage, waiting for the strum of an acoustic guitar to bring him alive once again.

He doesn't have to wait long, the barefooted steps of a certain neighbour stumbling along the hardwood patio in a mere fifteen minutes or so.

He fights the urge to hum as he awaits for Donghyuk to settle in and busies himself with digging new holes for new seeds and new beginnings.

There's shuffling as Donghyuk finally starts playing something and this time Yunhyeong recognizes it. It's something he's heard a million times before, in malls and pubs and coffee shops. Something he's grown accustomed to and something that's about to grow apart of his heart as well.

_''World was on fire and no one could save me but you."_

He tries to slow down with his gardening as to not make any sound.

_"Strange what desire will make foolish people do."_

Tries to slow down the rapid thumping of his heartbeat.

The strumming of the guitar comes to a halt as Donghyuk lets out a quiet chuckle and Yunhyeong wonders if he has company. The thought is shift away by the wind creeping up his shirt and he keeps listening as the strumming continues.

Donghyuk opens his mouth and the angelic voice almost makes him miss the lyrics he's always noticed the most. The lyrics that have ran across his mind when Hanbin's brought one of his girlfriends along to the movies. When he's looked at her in a way that he never could look at him.

_"Oh I....Don't want to fall in love. Don't want to fall in love ..with you."_

As he grabs the last of the tulip ruins he wonders why Donghyuk is singing that song. And why it resonates with him in the first place.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so tbh this fic will probably not have a big dramatic plot at all.. i havent figured everything out yet but its just mostly gonna be a slow build of friends to lovers and its gonna be very cute but also like yun will still be very emo at times so thats the only minor trigger!
> 
> and i couldnt help but use wicked game in this chapter since i absolutely LOVE this song and i was listening to it while writing and the lyrics just FIT
> 
> hope you like it!! comments both good and bad are always welcome :)


End file.
